


White Noise

by wreathed



Category: Fake News RPF
Genre: Ficlet, First Time, M/M, No Dialogue
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-04-26
Updated: 2011-04-26
Packaged: 2017-10-22 18:05:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 298
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/240990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wreathed/pseuds/wreathed
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>To most, there are two Stephen Colberts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	White Noise

To most, there are two Stephen Colberts. There’s the famous one, the one with a Nation and an ice-cream flavour and all the other trappings that make up his act, the one who makes Jon proud of what the show that follows his – in channel scheduling and career trajectory – has become. Then there’s the actor/comedian, hidden behind the persona and known well only to his family and friends; for others, there is only information from rare interviews: chinos, Sunday school, youngest of eleven. That Stephen’s one of his best friends, this really clever silly hardworking goddamn _funny_ guy he knows so well.

Jon knows a third Stephen. Not that he’s always around: when they do the toss, it’s Stephen number one (something more behind his eyes when Jon starts giggling into his script). When he’s in a meeting with him or at an awards show with him or eating lunch with him in one of their offices, it’s Stephen number two. But when Stephen _gets_ Jon and his strange sense of humour completely, or when Stephen smiles like someone’s gifted him the world, or when Stephen slips over his words and licks his lips, that’s secret Stephen number three right there.

Jon’s become so accustomed to wanting him he no longer questions why. Still colleagues, still friends. The other feelings are just _there_ , ever-present but still noticed, like time or the sky or the white noise of New York City.

*

Take away that white noise, and you notice the silence. Take away a constant, and you make a new variable. Take yourself away to somewhere new, and you might just drop your guard.

In a Washington DC hotel room, Stephen listens to Jon’s silence and (for one reason or another; Jon’ll find out later why) says _yes_.


End file.
